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Airfix 1/72 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat *Completed*


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8 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Nice work. I love that kit. I buy more kits than I build, but there are some that just push their way onto your workbench. This is one of them!

 

Regards,

Adrian

I'm the same, I get an idea for a subject, buy a kit or three, and then get an idea for a different subject!

 

This is a great little kit, though, and I can see myself getting one or two more in the near future :)

 

Cheers,

Mark 

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On 22/05/2021 at 18:11, 2996 Victor said:

with the control column fitted to the cockpit tub (and, wonder of wonders, I successfully cut it from the sprue in one piece!)

:worthy: :worthy:..........well done!!

 

Nice to see your progress too! :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix

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I'd have to rate the Arma undercart as more fiddly than the Airfix, but they both turned out in the end.  IMHO the worst part is scraping down the mould parting lines.

 

Nice to see Daisy is still taking an interest in your hobbies.

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10 minutes ago, Jackson Duvalier said:

I'd have to rate the Arma undercart as more fiddly than the Airfix, but they both turned out in the end.  IMHO the worst part is scraping down the mould parting lines.

Something to look forward to..... I've also found the Airfix undercarriage is quite brittle :( The mould part lines are pretty horrible - I was hoping that my usual cheat of a small brush moistened with MEK would dispose of them, but I've got some repair work to do first!

 

12 minutes ago, Jackson Duvalier said:

Nice to see Daisy is still taking an interest in your hobbies.

Yes, she's always there to help, or borrow small tools or sub-assemblies - the Wildcat engine is a current favourite so I'm having to be sure to put it away safely :D I wouldn't have it any other way, if I'm honest :) 

 

Cheers,

Mark

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  • 4 weeks later...

Good grief! Nearly the whole month has gone past with no update! Unfortunately, that reflects my modelling activities generally, with very little attempted, let alone accomplished in the intervening time.

 

However, I've completed the undercarriage assembly, and what a cat's cradle that is, and added it to the firewall. The recent arrival of a new valve assembly has allowed me to get my venerable airbrush back into service, and this weekend I've managed to paint the interior of the fuselage, the firewall itself, and the IP. Small progress, but progress nonetheless. As I need to detail paint the cockpit tub and undercarriage/firewall assembly, and add decals for the IP and consoles, I'll wait to post photos until they're all done.

 

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a photo of our new arrival, Arthur:

http://IMG-20210626-184622501.jpg

Not exactly a Wildcat, in fact he's so laid-back he's horizontal!

 

Cheers,

Mark

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Cockpit decals applied yesterday evening with LOTS of MicroSet as almost all have to conform to lumpy mouldings. Haven't dared to check them this morning..... Some detail painting begun, but more to do before a cockpit and wheel bay wash. When I'm happy with the look of it all, I'll post a few pics!

 

Thanks for looking in!

 

Cheers,

Mark

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Just had a quick check of the cockpit decals and they've settled down incredibly, one might almost say unbelievably, well over their panels. Its amazing, when you think how they have to conform to such undulating surfaces :) Good old MicroSet!

 

Cheers,

Mark

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On 6/28/2021 at 10:11 AM, 2996 Victor said:

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a photo of our new arrival, Arthur:

 

Wow, he's a cutie! Is this you starting to collect cats, the same way you collect kits? From personal experience, I can assure you that this can only lead to madness.

 

How's Daisy coping with the new arrival?

 

Craig.

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2 hours ago, Dandie Dinmont said:

 

Wow, he's a cutie! Is this you starting to collect cats, the same way you collect kits? From personal experience, I can assure you that this can only lead to madness.

 

How's Daisy coping with the new arrival?

 

Craig.

Hi Craig,

 

he is cute, isn't he, and he's got a lovely little personality, too :) He was Jane's idea ("Daisy needs a little brother to play with"!) although I didn't take much any persuading :D I'm reliably informed that Victor Towers is now officially at catpacity!

 

Daisy was not at all impressed to begin with, but there's a definitely-growing tolerance and gradual reduction of growls and hisses :) bless her! But she needs to assert her authority in no uncertain terms and tell Arthur who's boss!

 

Cheers,

Mark

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1 hour ago, 2996 Victor said:

she needs to assert her authority in no uncertain terms and tell Arthur who's boss!

Yes, at some point there will be the sideways arch backed dance from Arthur in an attempt to be the Alpha and at that point Daisy will give him three rapid and that'll be it. Dominance displayed. 🤣

At least that is my experience over the years and if you are lucky enough to witness it it's very funny.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

 

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30 minutes ago, AliGauld said:

Yes, at some point there will be the sideways arch backed dance from Arthur in an attempt to be the Alpha and at that point Daisy will give him three rapid and that'll be it. Dominance displayed. 🤣

At least that is my experience over the years and if you are lucky enough to witness it it's very funny.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

 

Yes, I'm looking forward to that - hopefully it won't be too long and then some semblance of order might return :) just hope I get to see it when it happens! :D 

 

Cheers,

Mark

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Progress today with the cockpit assembled, and the fuselage zipped up. Photos taken but not uploaded yet, so that's a little job for the morrow.

 

That's good.

 

Broke off the tailwheel.

 

That's not.

 

Thanks for looking in!

 

Cheers,

Mark

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1 minute ago, AliGauld said:

Hope you'll be able to sort the tailwheel.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

I'm sure I'll be able to sort it, probably with some brass rod - just annoying as it was entirely my own clumsiness!

 

Cheers,

Mark

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12 minutes ago, 2996 Victor said:

I'm sure I'll be able to sort it, probably with some brass rod - just annoying as it was entirely my own clumsiness!

 

Cheers,

Mark

It always happens.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

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Howdy, folks! Well, first off a few pics of yesterday's endeavours.

 

The cockpit tub, IP and firewall:

http://IMG-3755.jpg

http://IMG-3753.jpg

The interior green is Vallejo Bronze Green and the grey is M485. The detail painting is just random guesswork, but I think it looks okay :) The seatbelts are just strips of Tamiya masking tape that I've tried to make into a copy the Yahu AM set. Not sure how well they look, and rather than try to make buckles I've attempted to arrange them like the buckles are out of sight!

 

Fuselage halves:

http://IMG-3756.jpg

 

Dry assembly:

http://IMG-3757.jpg

http://IMG-3759.jpg

 

After which the fuselage was zipped up as I mentioned yesterday evening.

 

Today, the wings and the one-piece tail-plane were attached: there were some slight joint gaps, no doubt the result of my cack-handedness rather than any failures on Airfix's part, which have been treated to a splodge of Mr Dissolved Putty. The fuselage seams have also been treated with Mr DP as I also managed to get them slightly out of kilter - I'll need to do a smidgeon of rescribing, so more practice required there.....

 

By the way, is it me or does the firewall look like humpty dumpty?

 

Thanks for looking in, and as always, any comments welcome :) 

 

Cheers,

Mark

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2 minutes ago, AliGauld said:

Nice innarding there.

 

Looking rather good.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

Thanks, Alistair, that's extremely kind of you! Hope I can make a decent job of the outers, too!

 

Cheers,

Mark

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Lol! I forgot to post a pic of the airframe as it stands :facepalm: so here it is:

http://IMG-3761.jpg

 

Just for variety, in the background is a 4mm/1ft (1:76) Lynton & Barnstaple Railway 4-wheel open wagon being assembled from a Dundas Models kit. This is as built condition with top-hung doors, as opposed to the PECO ready-to-run version which has side-hung doors.

 

If anyone's holidaying in North Devon, do head up to Woody Bay and take a trip on the resurgent L&B - they're doing fantastic things! Their website is here if you're interested. Plug over!

 

Cheers,

Mark

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Fantastic to see the progress you have been making Mark and it looks to be coming together beautifully! Lovely work in the cockpit. :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix

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1 minute ago, PlaStix said:

Fantastic to see the progress you have been making Mark and it looks to be coming together beautifully! Lovely work in the cockpit. :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix

Thanks, Stix, that's very kind of you! It's a nice little kit, although I'm sure I could be doing a bit better as I'm adding filler and sanding seams where other BMers haven't! :D I'm enjoying it, and hopefully it'll turn out alright in the end :) 

 

Cheers,

Mark

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  • 4 weeks later...

Over the weekend, I've managed to clean up the fuselage to wing seams, including a smidgeon of sanding where I'd over-glued.

 

As a bit of an experiment, I've been using thin CA for the majority of assembly on this one, and so far its working well. I have a tendency to "over-egg the pudding" though, and continue to try to add glue where it isn't required, which results in little tiny blobs on the surface where it hasn't wick'd into the joint. But hey-ho, its all a learning curve, isn't it?

 

I've also re-scribed the fuselage panel lines where my previous joint sanding operations had removed them. Once again, not the greatest efforts and, no, I'm not posting any photos! Happily the worst of it is on the underside and I think that once primered it'll be "okay". Speaking of which, I had hoped for some primer yesterday, but the weather didn't collude with my plans. This morning is glorious, of course.

 

I've just realised its four weeks since my last update, which ain't great. 3/10, must try harder.

 

Thanks for stopping by!


Mark

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On 6/29/2021 at 2:23 PM, 2996 Victor said:

Good old MicroSet!

The First time I used micro sol and set instead of just using warm water it was like an actual magic trick, amazing stuff!

 

I too have several of the furry supervisors that insist on inspecting all my work. Tell me, how do you deal with the fur?!

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